Thursday, July 3, 2008 - Hot Diggity Dog! In honor of our country’s independence day I thought I would write about a summer classic… the hot dog. Not a glamorous meal, but definitely a summer time favorite. My personal favorites are Koegel Viennas. Not only are they made right here in Michigan, but they only have 13 ingredients of which 5 are a variety of spices. Koegel's Viennas are made with beef and pork, blended with spices and then stuffed into a natural casing for a great flavor and crisp casing. They have been using the same recipe since 1917 and to add to the hot dog’s flavor they smoke the viennas with natural hardwoods. They are really top quality and oh so tasty… the Cadillac of hot dogs if you will. Thursday, June 26, 2008 - Opa! Did you know that you don’t have to fly to the Mediterranean to get a taste of authentic Greek food? In addition to repeatedly being named the best Greek restaurant in metro Detroit, Pegasus offers traditional Greek cuisine in a fun, casual atmosphere. It has an open kitchen, full bar area and a large dining room that feels very cozy for its size. Not only is the food traditionally Greek so is most of the wait staff. As in typical Mediterranean style the wait staff is predominantly male, in fact I don’t think I have ever had a waitress serve me…only waiters. They are most well known for their Saganaki. If you are not familiar it is flaming cheese—literally! The waiter will bring a 3” x 3” square of kasseri cheese, top with brandy and set it aflame tableside and then shouts “Opa!”
Thursday, June 19, 2008 The Best "Taste" in the Midwest Summer is here which means it is festival season. One of my favorites is the Taste of Chicago. It is a foodies dream…a whole bunch of Chicago based restaurants have samples or “tastes” of some of their menu items. It is my Cedar Point… you buy tickets, wait in line and then get you a rush. Usually it is a sugar rush but nonetheless. The “Taste” has a musical stage, kids events, rides and lots of food all located along the lakeshore in downtown Chicago. If you plan on attending be sure to get a map and determine which booths you want to go to and get a plan of attack. My personal favorites are Ann Sather’s Cinnamon Rolls and Lou Maltni’s pizza. The cinnamon rolls are made to perfection with an unbelievable glaze. The pizza at Lou Maltni’s is traditional Chicago style pizza with one of the best crusts I have ever had on a pizza. It is not too thick and not too thin with just the right amount of flaky butter goodness! Thursday, June 12, 2008 East Coast food on the West Coast The next time you are in Los Angeles and you need an east coast fix stop by Art's Delicatessen & Restaurant in Studio City, California. A true Jewish Deli they even provide you with a Yiddish dictionary to help translate many of the menu items. All the tables are booths and there is even outdoor seating that faces the world famous Ventura Boulevard. The food is worth ever penny, especially the homemade bagels made fresh every morning. The bagels are by far the best I have ever eaten. They are so good they broke the will of a devoted “Atkins” dieter that I was with. In addition to the best bagels they have the freshest deli meats and salads. I couldn’t get enough of the turkey salad (their version of chicken salad) and the potato salad. The best part is that they make everything on site so it tastes so fresh and there is enough to take home and enjoy again!
Greetings from Silverseas Saturday, June 1, 2008 I ordered “Wallenbergare” which is a luxury mincemeat burger made of beef or veal, cream and bread crumbs. It is pan fried in butter and served with mashed potatoes, peas and lingonberries. It was DELICIOUS!! The Wallenbergare is named after a well established and financially successful family in Sweden (think Rockefeller, Gates, etc) and is for lack of a better description… a big meatball! It looked like dinner at Grandma’s house on Sunday afternoon and tasted just as good. Lucky for me Swedish food is more than just smoked herring! The only question is do you think that all Swedish chefs really look like the Swedish chef from ‘The Muppets’?? Thursday, May 29, 2008 Another notable food item from our time in Germany was that during our tour of Rostock’s St. Peter’s church tower we were served finger sandwiches and champagne. This is what so great about Silversea Cruises not only do they arrange shore excursions but they provide snacks! It came at the perfect time too. After touring the historic city of Rostock for three hours we went to the top of the church tower and while enjoying the view of the city we nibbled on sandwiches. Perfect timing and delicious too! Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Have I talked about dessert yet?! At lunch and dinner they offer a featured dessert along with a selection of ice creams (including “zero” ice cream…zero calories, zero fat, zero flavor…), chocolate based dessert and fruit based desserts. After trying a different dessert at every lunch and dinner since we boarded the plane, I have decided on my favorite…roasted pear with gorgonzola cream and walnuts. It was so good I wanted to lick my plate clean and my neighbor’s plate for that matter. It had such a rich flavor that was offset by a very creamy side of gorgonzola whipped cream and topped with walnuts; and the plate was covered with raspberry sauce. OH MY…that was tasty!!
For lunch they were serving a “Galley Lunch”. This is an opportunity to see inside the kitchen and lunch is served buffet style. I have to admit I do not particularly like buffet style because I find that the food is not as fresh as when you order it and they prepare for you. This buffet was unlike many traditional cruise buffets. It included a leg of beef (slow cooked for 12 hrs!), freshly prepared pasta (both marinara and carbonera sauce), numerous salads, sushi and sushi rolls, endless breads and oh yeah a dessert table! Ok, so I am a fan of a good dessert buffet! The chocolate mousse and pecan pie were out of this world. The only thing that could have made the lunch better was smoother sailing, which Silverseas doesn’t have any control over!
Sunday, May 25th, 2008 We also stumbled into a Belgian chocolate shop. We learned that the reason Belgian chocolate is so much better is that they use little to no “fillers” in their chocolates. They use a higher amount of cocoa and cocoa butter. Whatever they do it works! It is so smooth and delicious. After trying several different types (chocolate covered caramel, chocolate covered cherry, white chocolate with walnuts) I strongly recommend just plain chocolate. All the fillings I found distracting from the taste of the world’s (in my humble opinion) best chocolate.
Saturday, May 24th, 2008
Friday, May 23rd, 2008 So far my favorites include the shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, New York Sirloin steak (yes, this is one of the options on the room service menu) and the chocolate mousse. The shrimp cocktail is always perfectly prepared with the shrimp being large, crisp and chilled. In fact as I write this I think I will order one…since I can order it 24 hrs a day why not! Oh did I mention that the mini-bar and room service is ALL included in your cruise ticket? Yes, that means you can eat, drink, be merry and not worry about spending another dime! The French onion soup is full of onions, tasty broth and topped with cheese. Although I do not like onions I do love French onion soup (I just eat the broth and cheese!)… weird I know! The steak was flavorful and just the right size. I found the meat tender and since the ship gets all of their meat from the United States there are no concerns about quality standards. The chocolate mousse is light, fluffy and so tasty! It is topped with chocolate shavings and fresh raspberries. How can you go wrong?! Another great thing about Silverseas is that although there is an endless supply of food, the portions are modest which I like because it helps me not eat as much...at one sitting! And with all food included if you don’t get enough you can always order more. All of lunch, dinner and room service menus include appetizers, first, second, and third courses, main courses and desserts so there is plenty of food to fill you up and with such variety you can sample many different types of foods.
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 We flew from Detroit Metro to London Heathrow on the “red eye” which meant we would be served dinner AND breakfast. For dinner we had the traditional option of chicken or beef. I opted for the beef and much to my surprise enjoyed the meal. It was a beef stir fry with carrots, green beans and rice with a teriyaki sauce. I also had a side salad, cheese and crackers and a roll; which was quite a spread for airline food. The meal was good considering the source. For breakfast we were served an egg biscuit sandwich. The breakfast left much to be desired but did serve a vital function…a quick meal to hold us over until we were abroad the ship and could have lunch. This meal was a true case of “you get what you pay for” and since the meal was free (except for the plane ticket price) it was ok. It was much more of what I expected plane food to be. Part II
Take a trip back to the 50s... Thursday May 22, 2008 **Travel Queen Newsletter blog As summer approaches there are many things to look forward… including long sunny days, grilling out, fresh fruits and vegetables and the return of the drive-in season! I have great summer memories of going to one particular drive-in restaurant in the thumb area of Michigan. Lefty’s Drive-In is located on M-25 just south of Caseville, MI. It is a traditional drive-in complete with car-hop service. They have classic 1950s milk shakes and malts, french fries, fried mushrooms, home-made onion rings, burgers, hot dogs, and foot long hot dogs. My personal favorites are the 1’ high rod of onion rings, and foot long hot dog with ketchup, mustard and relish (eaten right out of the paper wrapper) and wash it all down with a fountain root beer. Of course, the meal isn’t complete with a handmade strawberry malt for dessert. So the next time you are on your way to Sleeper State Park for a day at the beach or a camping weekend, be sure to stop in at Lefty’s and take a step back to the days of the drive-in.
When in Rome... Thursday, May 15, 2008 My belief is that while traveling people should eat and/or try as much local cuisine as possible. It doesn’t make sense to eat at the same places you can eat while you are at home. For those that have very particular palates that can’t commit to eating a full meal of local cuisine I encourage you to at least try the local foods. I also suggest that you don’t ask what you are trying until after you finish eating it. Why? Because many other parts of the United States and world may eat things that don’t sound appetizing, that you may actually enjoy. However, though, there are times that local cuisine can be more than I can take. Let me give you an example… While visiting a friend working in Ecuador with the Peace Corps I wanted to try traditional Ecuadorian food. My friend was more than happy to provide me with that experience…perhaps a little too eager! That should have been my first clue. He mentioned that we should try “cuy”. Since it had been several years since my high school Spanish class I didn’t know what the word cuy was and following my own advice I didn’t ask what it was. I committed to try it and then I would ask. Well, since my friend was so eager for us to try it my suspicions were on guard and I had to know what cuy was. Two words: Guinea pig. No, I am not kidding. As much as I want to be open to new cuisine that was one thing I couldn’t stomach. I did pass on cuy and can honestly say I don’t regret that decision.
Mmmmmmom's Pot Roast Thursday, May 8, 2008 In the spirit of Mother’s Day weekend I am going to share with you one of my favorite home cooked meals… pot roast with all the fixins! MMMMMMM… there is nothing better than a roast that has been slowed cooked with carrots, onions, potatoes and topped with gravy. My mouth is already watering. I have searched for years to find a decent pot roast meal in my travels and finally this past fall I think I have done it. Unfortunately, it is almost 3,000 miles away! While visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studio (formally known as MGM Studios) we stopped into the 50’s Prime Time Café for dinner. From the minute you walk in the door you are in a 1950’s house complete with living room, family room, kitchen and are seated a traditional 50’s table where “Mom” is waiting to serve you a heaping plate of comfort food. Each of the wait staff plays the role of your mother and will if needed make sure you eat your vegetables and clean your plate. We ordered the pot roast dinner, fried chicken dinner and started with onion rings. The pot roast was like eating at home. Tender meat, flavorful roasted carrots and perfectly seasoned gravy. In addition to traditional “comfort foods” such as meatloaf, fried chicken, pot roast and milk shakes you can enjoy classic sitcom Moms on television while you eat. The food was exactly what I had hoped for…just like home!
Dessert Shooters Thursday, May 1, 2008 Ok, so I know last week I talked about ways to slim down prior to bathing suit weather and this week I am talking about dessert; but I promise you these desserts won’t totally ruin your waist line. A recent trend at a few local chain restaurants is serving mini desserts in oversized shot glasses. With multiple options to choose from there is one for every palate. You can even order a sampler of desserts… ok now that may cause a problem with the waist line! Since I am responsible for writing a weekly newsletter article about food I felt it was my duty and obligation to try a couple of the dessert shooters. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it! Here is what I can report… if you find yourself saying “I just want a little something sweet” after dinner, these little guys are perfect! They have chocolate cake, lemon pie, s’mores, apple pie, and cheesecake. My personal favorite is the lemon pie, but the chocolate cake is really good too. My suggestion is that everyone at the table orders a different one and you all share bites. That way you get to try a few different ones! Prepare Now for Bathing Suit Weather Thursday, April 24, 2008 As the summer approaches we are getting closer to bathing suit weather and all that comfort food we ate during the winter has added a few extra pounds. I am sure I am alone, but in case there is one or two of you out there that need to shed a few pounds before their summer vacation try a few of my helpful eating out tips... 1. Start with a salad. It will fill you up a bit and then you won’t eat as much of your main course. Also, be sure to order the dressing on the side and dip your fork in the dressing before each bite. You will use a lot less dressing and intake less calories. 2. Ask for the lunch portion at dinner. The less on your plate the less you will eat. Even if you order the dinner portion and say you’ll take home leftovers you end up eating more than if you get the lunch portion. 3. Order Chinese dishes stir fried in a small amount of oil rather than in a sauce. 4. Skip the yummy fried foods and get your dishes grilled, baked, or stir fried. (without sauce!). 5. Get your sandwich on whole grain bread or better yet skip the bread all together and get it in a lettuce wrap. Hope these tips will help. Of course in addition to cutting your calories you want to increase your activity levels…I know eating less and exercising more doesn’t sound like all that fun but when your shorts and bathing suits fit you will be happy!
A Burger and a Big Smooch Thursday, April 17, 2008 I am sure many of you have been to Traverse City, but have you ever kissed Randolph while you were there? I am proud to say that I have! Did I mention Randolph is a moose? He is the official mascot of Sleder’s Family Tavern. My first time at Sleder’s was while I was in college visiting a friend. She took us to Sleder’s for a burger, but what we got more than a great burger. We got lots of laughs and a few pictures that may one day be used for blackmail! Not only this is the longest running restaurant in Traverse City but one of Michigan’s longest running taverns. It is decorated in an old tavern style and including the original 21’ solid mahogany bar from 1882, stamped tin ceiling and even the original gas lights (which don’t worry have been converted to electric). Sleder’s has a tremendous history that you can read about on their website. The numerous hunting trophies and stuffed animals that decorate the walls are some of the favorite conversation pieces at Sleder's. The most impressive of these is Randolph. He is located over the entrance to the back room. Most people who pass through Sleder's don't pass up a chance to kiss the moose because if you do... well, I won’t spoil the surprise for you. In addition to an interesting history and a charming mascot, Sleder’s has really good burgers. It is what a hamburger should be. Cooked to order, juicy and topped with as much or as little as you like. My recommendation is the buffalo burger which is a 1/3 lb. fresh ground buffalo. If you are not a burger fan, don’t worry their menu also includes fresh Lake Michigan Whitefish, salads, and sandwiches.
Ahhhhhh Maine Lobstahhhhhhh Thursday, April 10, 2008 While living on the east coast I got spoiled with the endless amount of fresh lobster. It is true that you have not lived until you have had a fresh caught Maine lobster. When looking for an amazing lobster (or lobstahhhhh as they say in New England) it doesn’t matter whether you go to an upscale seafood restaurant or a dockside shack, as long as their lobster is caught daily you are all set. If you are new to lobster eating, they offer a “lazy lobster” which is fresh caught lobster, cooked and taken out of the shell for you. No work and all of the tastiness (is this a real word?)! If you are an old pro at lobster eating or if you like a challenge you can order your lobster still in the shell. Either way it will be delicious. So fresh and yummy I don’t even need melted butter! A more economically way to enjoy Maine lobster is to order a Lobster Roll. It is similar to a tuna fish or egg salad sandwich except with huge chunks of lobster meat and bit of mayo and is served on a bulkie roll. You should definitely try one before you leave Maine!
The truth about sushi... Thursday, April 3, 2008 This past weekend I went out for “sushi”. I know that you are thinking one of two things: “eeewwwwwww” or “oh I love sushi”. I should clarify a bit first… I don’t actually eat sushi, what I do eat is Maki-zushi; which translated means “wimpy American version of traditional Japanese sushi”. Ok, not really. The real difference is one has raw fish and other one doesn’t. I prefer the one without raw fish or as I call it “wimpy sushi”. Maki-zushi in Japanese means rolled sushi. It is a tube shaped roll of cooked rice stuffed with vegetables, meat or seafood of your choice. One of the most well known “beginner” rolls is the California Roll. It has crab sticks, avocado and cucumber. My personal favorites include tempura shrimp (lightly battered and fried) and crab salad with spicy sauce. I have tried true sushi once and I have to admit I am not a fan; but that doesn’t stop me for going out for sushi. Traditional sushi restaurants are now offering more “roll” choices which make it enjoyable to go out for sushi even if you don’t eat raw fish. Try it I think you just might like it!
Tapas y Sangria..muy bien mi amigos! Thursday, March 27, 2008 One of the great things for me about traveling is the opportunity to experience new food. While in Chicago (or Las Vegas) I recommend Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. It is a Spanish tapas restaurant that features hot & cold appetizers of Spain (called tapas). It also has traditional Paella and Sangria You can either create an entire meal by selecting a variety of tapas dishes like we did, or simply choose a selection of tapas as an appetizer and enjoy an order of paella (traditional rice dish with seafood, chicken or beef). Below is a sampling of the tapas and sangrias Café Ba-Ba-Reeba offers, and they just so happen to be my personal favorites. Cold Tapas Hot Tapas Sangria
My Favorite Casino Restaurant Thursday, March 20, 2008 Not many people go to a casino for the food... especially non-gamblers. They tend to stereotype casino restaurants as smoke filled low quality buffets. Nothing could be further from the truth in today’s new casinos. One of my personal favorites is the Water Lily restaurant at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant. The Water Lily is a fine dining restaurant that features regional American cuisine. It is a cozy and intimate restaurant that has white table cloths and candle votives on each table. In the center of the restaurant is a beautiful stone fireplace and the backside of the restaurant is all windows that face the pool patio and pond. I recommend starting with an order of the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, followed by an Autumn Salad Oak Leaf & Bibb Lettuce salad (it includes Blood Oranges, Grilled Beets, Candied Almonds, Smoked Onions & Rye Croutons Acorn Squash Vinaigrette), and for the main entrée the Herb Roasted Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding. The food is expertly prepared and presented and tastes amazing. The crab cakes are filled with fresh chunks of lump crab and the lettuce in the salad is crisp. The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned and the Yorkshire Pudding is a unique treat. The Water Lily has a full bar stocked with fine wines and upscale beverages and even offer splits of champagne which is perfect to toast your big win in the casino!
Disney Dining Plan Thursday, March 13, 2008
Mackinac Bridge Walk Monday, September 3rd, 2007 We left the cabin by 7:30 am and were in good spirits. We sang “walking” songs to make the drive go faster. When we arrived in St. Ignace we started to realize how many people were participating in the walk. We parked at the Quality Inn on US-2 and walked about 1-1 1/2 mile down the street to the start point on the bridge. The sun was out and there was a slight breeze -- perfect weather for the walk. We made it across the finish line and got our certificate…. proof that we did it! I was number 17, 692. Prior to getting on the bus to go back over the bridge we thought we would have a bite to eat. After an enjoyable lunch we made our way to the bus -- and that is when we saw it….the line of people waiting for the bus. It started at Arnold’s Ferry dock and stretched down to Shepler’s Ferry dock. What? No way the line could be that long… ohhhh how naïve…. We quickly realized that not only did the line stretch from Arnold’s to Shepler’s, but it wrapped around the block and then down the street. It was 8-10 people deep and was at least a 1 ¼ mile long. As we stood dazed and confused in the middle of the street, we began to feel panicked... trapped on the wrong side of the bridge… We first hear that it is a 2 ½ hour wait, but that is only to get to the point in the line in front of Shepler’s. Then we hear something that is unbelievable….. the line to get on the bus is about a 5-6 hour wait. I’m sorry…..what?? Were these people serious? At that point, we began the mad dash for an alternate ride across the bridge. We asked people in their cars if they would be willing to take us over for $20 a head…... no takers. Everyone was trying to go south, not north. We asked a group of firemen if they could take us over for $100, and although they seriously considered it…it was a ‘no go’ …. they were on duty and couldn’t leave the city limits. Feeling defeated and unsure of what to do; after all it had been 1 ½ hours now since we started looking for a ride across the bridge, we made our way back to the end of the line hoping that something would come to us…. some divine intervention… a small miracle… we could hope, right? We got to the end of the line and it was as though the heaven’s opened up and the angels started to sing… Our savior came in the form of two young guys in a silver pickup truck taking loads of “walkers” across the bridge for $20 a head. Ummmmm, let me think about this…. ummm yeah...ok! It took us all of about 20 seconds to hand over the cash and climb up. We joined an already full pickup bed, but everyone made room for us. It still took us another 2 hours to make it across the bridge. Luckily we had a great group of new “friends” to cross the bridge with. It was one of the most unorganized operations I have ever seen. It is unfathomable to me that this great state has been having the Labor Day Mackinac Bridge walk for 50 years and couldn’t get it right. One could say they weren’t expecting so many people…ummm then why did they print so many certificates? Obviously the guy who ordered the certificates was expecting for that many people. The last we heard there were over 42,000 certificates handed out, so someone was expecting a lot of people. It seemed to me that they were grossly under estimating the number of busses needed. The highlight of the day was riding across the bridge on the back of a pickup…. that was worth the price of admission. By the end of the day I wondered only one thing… why would people do this year after year? Friday, August 31st, 2007 Thursday, August 30th, 2007 Let me set the stage for you… picture the movie ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ with Chevy Chase. Instead of a station wagon we had a Jeep Cherokee. Instead of “Aunt Edna” we had The Travel Queen, and instead of ‘Snots” the dog…we had two bulldogs full of snot. The “we” on this adventure was me, Jane aka The Travel Queen and her only son from Las Vegas, David. Did I mention that strapped to the top of the ‘family roadster’ was a 12’ kayak? We hit the road and after driving what seemed like 2 hours, we pulled over to check the security of the kayak and realized we weren’t even out of the city limits.. ohhhh, lord this is going to be a looooooooong trip. We made our way to Naubinway and luckily the rest of the trip did not take as long as the first half hour. Because I have known Jane and her family for several years, I have been lucky enough to spend time at her husband’s family cabin in the past. This arrival to the cabin, however, was unlike any others. As we walked in, we were greeted by numerous signs of nature. For those of you who haven’t spent very much time in the U.P. “nature” is code for mice, bats and flies..oh my! We spent an hour or so cleaning up the place in order to bring our stuff in.
Petoskey/Traverse City Trip Thursday, June 14th 2007 Wednesday, June 13th 2007 Tuesday, June 12th 2007 |
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